There is a deal being negotiated by Senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell that is purported to be a possible way to end the impasse in Washington and reopen the government. The fact that all legislation that deals with revenue is supposed to come from the House notwithstanding, I couldn't but wonder what these two yokels were coming up with. Thus, I started reading a few of the details with some interest. I wanted to see what we may be getting ourselves in to, if they are able to negotiate a final deal to end the government shutdown. What I found is not comforting, to say the least.When the government shutdown began, the Republicans wanted to defund Obamacare. When that failed, they moved to asking for a delay in the individual mandate that is the backbone of Obama's signature legislation. Personally, I thought it was a reasonable request, given that businesses had already been granted a delay in their mandate and the unions have been given an outright exemption. No matter, it seems the delay of the individual mandate is gone with the wind. What we are left with is not encouraging. The complete details are not finalized, but the bits and pieces that are emerging give me great cause for concern.
Fox News - Fox News has learned that the emerging framework would raise the debt ceiling through February, and include a spending bill meant to last through Jan. 15.Importantly, a tentative provision to repeal or delay the medical device tax in ObamaCare has been taken out, a senior Democratic aide said. But the proposal could include other modest items pertaining to ObamaCare, including income verification for those getting subsidies and a one-year delay of at least one obscure fee which had been sought by unions.In an effort to learn exactly what fee was being discussed, I started browsing different news sources. What I discovered troubles me greatly. Emphasis added is my own.
CNN - In addition, provisions involving Obama's signature health care reforms could be included, such as strengthening verification measures for people seeking federal subsidies to help them purchase health insurance required by the 2010 Affordable Care Act, the sources said.Another possible change to the health care reforms would delay a fee on employers, unions and other plan sponsors that raise money to compensate insurance companies for taking on high-risk customers in the early years of Obamacare.Let me get this straight. The Democrats flatly refused to delay Obamacare's individual mandate, but they will negotiate another delay for businesses and unions? As much as this sticks in my throat, the fact that the Republican leadership in Congress is caving in such a grand manner is even harder to swallow. And there is more.
Not only are the Democrats refusing to negotiate a delay in the individual mandate, they have moved to something else entirely. Much of the negotiations are now centered around how much the debt ceiling will be raised and how long the government will be funded. And finally, we move to the sequester. We all know the Democrats hate to cut spending and that fact is making itself known. This comes from the previous article on Fox News.
Republicans want to continue current spending at $986.7 billion and leave untouched the new round of cuts on Jan. 15 that would reduce the amount to $967 billion.Democrats, though, want to figure out a way to undo the reductions, plus enact a long-term extension of the debt limit increase and a short-term spending bill to reopen the government.Finally, we are beginning to see what the Democrats really want. They have never really liked the sequester, simply because it required them to cut the growth of spending. It should come as no surprise that they are now trying to roll back the cuts that were mandated by the sequester. From the news reports I have read, the main sticking point for the Democrats is how they can orchestrate another crack at changing the sequester more to their liking. In other words, roll it back so they don't lose the money they want to spend.
Republicans bristled at Democrats' demands. A House Republican leadership aide said Sunday that Reid "moved the goalposts" by trying to "violate" spending levels set in the 2011 Budget Control Act.
But Democrats denied they were trying to violate those levels.
A Senate Democratic leadership aide said "the suggestion that Democrats insist on breaking the budget caps is false and belied by the facts."
Essentially, Democrats argue that they would accept current spending levels for a short period -- just not as long as Collins proposed -- so they can have another go at the sequester cuts in the near future.
I have been accused of not wanting to compromise with the Democrats and I'll be the first to admit that I can be stubborn when it comes to things like this. It just strikes me as totally wrong for one side to compromise away everything they wanted at the start of the negotiations, just to strike a deal with the other side. If this deal goes through and is approved by the Democrats and Republicans, that is exactly what will have happened. What started as an effort to defund or delay Obamacare has turned into more of a fight over spending and as is usually the case, the Democrats are pulling the wool over the eyes of the Republican leadership.
I hope my Congressman, Mark Wayne Mullin, and the rest of the rank and file Republicans, both in the House and the Senate, balk at this so-called compromise. It needs to be pointed out that the Democrats are getting most, if not all, of what they wanted at the beginning of this fight. They are also setting the stage for another fight over spending, giving them another chance to roll back the sequester. Conservatives (clearly, some Republicans are not conservative) aren't getting squat.
